Railway-gate.



No.- 778,161. PATENTEDIDEC. 20, 1904.

B. WHITAKER.

RAILWAY GATE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 2'1, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'- N0 MODEL.

Patented December 20, 1904..

'UNITED. STATE PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD WHITAKER, OF CUMBERLAND, IOWA.

RAILWAY-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,161, dated December 20, 1904.

I. Application filed September 2'7; 1904:- Serial No. 226,196-

To all whom, it TN/LLZ/ concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD WHITAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at (Jumberland, in the county of Cass, State of Iowa, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Gates; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will in this class of inventions in order to render them more simpleand certain in their operations.

The drawings hereto annexed and forming a part of this specification are designed to show the invention as applied to the right-hand track, or the track on which a train would approach the crossing and gate, it being understood that the left-hand track will be equipped with similar means on the other side of the crossing.

Of the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the invention, showing the gate as raised. Fig. 2 is a right-hand side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a left-hand side view of the post and its gate. Fig. 4 is a front view of the post.

In the drawings, 10 designates the railwayties, upon which are laid the rails 11, forming the track. a

12 d esignates the gate, consisting in the present instance of a bar pivotally supported on a post 13, firmly secured at its lower end to an extension of a tie 10 and having buffer or counterbalancing springs 14 and 15 secured to what may be called the rear end, so as to effect an easy working of the gate and obviate jar, due to the trains striking the operative parts.

In the present case the devices for operating the crossing-gate to close the same are placed outside of the rails or track, so as to leave the space within the rails clear, and it is arranged to actuate a trip to close the gate before the train reaches the crossing, and then as the engine or train is on the crossing to actuate another trip so that after'the train shall have passed the gate will have opened or will open slowly, leaving the crossing clear. With these statements itmay be explained on reference to the drawings that the apparatus embracestwo trips 16 and 17. The former is the first to be operated upon and is placed as far back on the track as'may be deemed advisable, while the trip 17 will for the same reasons be arranged near the crossing-gate. Each trip consists of an upright 18, having lateral journals 19, supported in bearings sustained between two ties or in other suitable ways. Springs 20, connected with opposite sides of the trips, operate thereon, as is obvious, to maintain them normally in vertical position and as buifer-springs.

On the inside of the pivot 21 of the crossing-gate there is a pulley 22, which is adapted to windupon it when it is turned in the proper direction the rope vor cable 23, which has one end attached to the said pulley and the other end to the upper end of a helical spring 24. The construction and arrangement issuch that when tension on the spring 24 is relaxed it will allow the crossing-gate to close by the tendency of its own gravity; but when stress is put upon said spring 24 it will cause the gate to open gradually. The lower end of the helical spring 24 is connected to one end of a cord or rope 25, which extends down under a pulley 26, properly supported on the gatepost '13,.and thence inward around a pulley 27, supported on the gate-post'tie, and thence to a catch 28, to the forward end of which it is connected. The catch 28 is provided with a notch or similar means which adapts it to be engaged by a latch 29, pivoted upon a tie, and be held against moving forward under the action of the helical spring 24, which operates to close the crossing-gate. At" the rear end of the catch is attached one end of a cord or rope, which extends rearwardly, suitably guided around a pulley 30,'supported on a tie, and then forwardly to the trip 17 The latch 29 has a cord or rope 31 attached to its catchengaging end, which cord extends outwardly around a pulley 32 and forwardly where it is connected with the trip 16.

In speaking of the movements and relationship of the parts herein it is intended that the terms shall have regard to the arrow marked on Fig. 1. Supposing now that all parts are in their normal position, the crossing-gate raised, and the catch engaged by the latch, as represented in Fig. 1. A train coming down the track in the direction of the arrow will have a suitable cam-like projection or other suitable means on the cow-catcher or elsewhere, which will strike the trip 16 before the train reaches the crossing, pressing said trip forward, drawing back the latch 29 to the dotted-line position, and allowing the catch to slide forward to its dotted-line position by the reaction of the spring 24, which allows the crossing-gate to close. As the train reaches the crossing the trip 17 will be struck and pressed forward, drawing back the catch 28, so that the latch will fall behind its notch, putting stress or tension on the spring 24 and causing it to open the gate slowly but certainly.

Of course such parts as require it may be housed in against the weather and other things that might harm their operations, and provision within the scope of mechanical knowledge may be drawn upon to meet exigencies and circumstances in order to secure a well-adjusted and smoothly-operating apparatus.

What is claimed is In a crossing-gate the combination with a post, agate pivotally mounted on said post, a spring connected with the gate and adapted under tension to hold the gate open, cords and a catch connected with said spring to draw upon it to put it under tension, a spring-pressed latch to engage said catch to hold it and maintain tension on the spring, spring-returned trips adapted to be engaged and moved by a passing train, and cords operatively connected with the catch and latch and respectively connected with said trips.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD \VH I TA K 1 1R.

Witnesses:

SHARP EDWARDS, HENRY TUPKE. 

